Best days ahead

June 20, 2013

Small breed dog paraphernalia overwhelms the little guest room. Two little creatures are here at Hill Hotel for the weekend. I am thrilled to be pet-sitting again. I miss the new energy and excitement. It also brings about a whole new level of strolling through the house with vigilant awareness. They have more cute stuff than Barbie, just as pink and frilly. The only things missing are a styling comb and sparkly jeep to skedaddle to the beach. I hope Tyrus doesn’t feel deprived in comparison.

In less than a week I will undergo an updated X-Ray to discover whether I can bear weight on my peg and switch to walking with a cane, like a more mature person, versus a hopping along with a deluxe walker or awkward crutches. It is very difficult to restrain myself and not attempt to use my foot. Impatient and daring yet refraining, for the most part. Before I know it, I will be back in my mannish huarache sandals and sending longing looks at my high heels. So far, those ankle-breakers are pushed to the far reaches of the closet, hiding away from my disadvantaged stares.

The license plates in the state of Washington are configured differently, so I discovered after Taelor found a yellow ticket on the window the other morning. It is categorized as an obscured license plate. A $111 fine. As I launch into her scattered paperwork, I find yet another suspiciously familiar yellow tag and gasp in recognition. Phoned the courthouse immediately and, after fuming for 16 minutes on “hold,” I speak with a gentle expeditious young man who sets up a court date for me, combining the two citations, and a stab at the judge/hearing officer for compassion and understanding. Geez, when will all of this iron out and life becomes free of inconveniences and extended hold periods on my cell phone? Where is the “free ride” I was promised?

Hot. No wind and a lot of truck noises coming from the street today. Difficult to delve into my Blog and write like my life depends upon it.

Having company over for dinner. Of course, I cannot contribute much and I do believe I have some tea bags in the cupboard to add water and set in the sun for a refreshing beverage. It is fun to entertain, especially since I am not obligated to do anything but plop on the couch with ice packs on my ankle. The pups will do the keep the guests amused and I can relax and enjoy the family. I have only seen some of these family members from afar, via Skype, so am anxious to share my space and stories.

When my nephew was reminded that he would be reunited with my dog, Tyrus, he declared “This is the best day of my life!”

The work of women

June 20, 2013

My sister came for a visit from outer space. May as well have been, since I can’t comfortably walk down to the corner, let alone see her in the greater Seattle area. She sat and visited with me yesterday, fetched a large bag of cat littler out of the car, picked up dog doo in the yard and carried my tofurkey sandwich to the couch. The conversation went on for so long, I barely had enough time to prepare for a meeting with a group of new friends. A woman, whom I didn’t know, was coming to collect me so after sis left, I changed clothes, hopped from room to room to organize things so the dog and cat would be contented, while alone all day, and my personal needs would be met as well. That is a lot of hopping.

I am simply justifying why my blog was not posted yesterday since I a. currently have internet service at the house and b. am committed to sharing my life with the world.

Arrived home long after I expected to return. Was gifted with a dozen fresh chicken eggs and a smile that wrapped around my face, glowing in the dark to lite the path to the bedroom. I had a wonderful time with a clump of women of all ages and strengths. Some cried, most laughed, a few snorted, while others shared their lives that ultimately made a difference for each and every one of us. That is what women do. I am complete.

Moving for Dummies

June 18, 2013

The movers came to shuffle Taelor’s furniture around from one room to another, out the door, and into the trailer, to disappear around the corner. They removed their shoes like good little boys and traipsed around, murmuring the mandatory admiration for the new cat, while the gigantic dog pestered them for attention as well. It is an art to move the big pieces, an extended 70’s couch can quickly get the best of you. Maneuvering and adjusting, sizing up the doorways and corners, removing feet, coming to the conclusion that, if it got inside the house in one piece, it has the ability to exit. I directed from the outer edge of the space, encouraging and lifting a bit on one end, explaining my mature approach and acquainting the young men with the advantage of preparation. Drawers come out or the dresser is twice as heavy. Rugs must be pulled out of harms way and doors propped for easy exit. Place heavy side down on the staircase, vertical furniture is easier to manipulate, and padding essential. I am certain, though only four items were emptied out, the guys and Taelor felt satisfied in their work. I offered up a large swivel office chair but had no takers. It sits alone now, in the vast room, yearning for the companionship of a functional desk. I believe the black chair may go on a journey tonight, creeping along the vast street, in solitude. Perhaps it can meet up with the futon abandoned on the curb with a “free” sign attached.

My space resembles a student environment, for the time being. It won’t take long to fill-in the spaces and find the items I desire. Starting anew is always an intense and humbling experience. Once you have to wrestle with a primitive camping opener, you understand just how essential the small things can be. After the basics are acquired, I begin to pick and choose based on adoration and desire. I also commit to “one thing in, one thing out” again to keep me on my toes about acquiring non-essential things. We lived in Port Townsend for five years, the longest of Taelor’s short life, and Sacramento, California happens to be the place where I spent the most time in my adult life, (six years.) Taelor was born there which probably forced me to develop some roots.

A bit bleary from the goings-on last night. The family upstairs was wreaking havoc until 3:00am when the neighbor to our left shouted that she has to work at 5:00am and the few hours sleep she may get are essential!...or in so many words…some of which I cannot repeat on a blog or I will be 86’d from the sight. The men tend to come home in a rampage and either the women’s voices are too hard to discern or they don’t bark back. I will be relieved when they move out on the 22^nd of this month, though I will not hold my breath. There have been no signs of empty boxes coming in nor are they communicating their plans to me. I am encouraged to hear there is a couple moving in and the man is responsible for mowing the uneven grass, they claim to have their own washer/dryer and sound reasonably accountable. Of course, I will keep you in the loop.

This is the final day I have my daughter’s attention since she leaves for far away lands at the crack of dawn. I could not keep my eyes open by 11:30 last night so I went to bed, assuring her we have more time today. You know how that “early to bed” scene turned out. She will sorely miss the cat so I will have to take photos for her, though she cannot accept them on the other end. The rules are strict about what she can bring along on the Expedition Club group. They are going to a small village in northern Thailand to assist with the English school teachers at the school the group build a decade ago, spend time with the students and immerse themselves in the culture. It is her third year attending this Program and she is traveling as a chaperone this time. As a linguistics/biology major she will see things with a different perspective, I am certain. What a wonderful opportunity this is for her. Wish I could tag along but, sigh, that is not “cool” or whatever the latest term amounts to.

Bad cultural habits

June 17, 2013

The car clicker is misplaced and the world stops as we frantically search the house for the center of the world little black gadget. Insane twenty minutes ensue and I realize just how much I am at its mercy; to start the car, open the door without an alarm blaring, and leaving the scene expediently. Did the miniscule item drop into the recycling bags, fall out onto the tall grass in the front yard, spiral into the clean clothes basket, slip down under the love seat or chair cushions, get kicked under the furniture, scuttle beneath the frig or stove like a cockroach, did the cat get ahold of it??? Where did it go?

Incredibly hot and bothered by the lack of customer service skills at Orbitz. It has been well over an hour and a half, most of the time spent on HOLD, seeking much needed solace with the orchestra muzac piped through my cell phone. I am very disturbed by the constant apologies, for the system errors, from women named heavy-accented Chelsey, Ann and Sherry who finally admitted they are located in the Philippines. How is this possible that I cannot find work at a decent wage, forced to connect with companies who are not willing to hire someone like me to be their customer service representative and would handle things much differently? Business practices are flagrantly swayed on the company side and I become a victim of rage. As a culture, we have slid so far backwards that I am flabbergasted. Oh gosh, what a waste of my time and energy.

In order to get my mind off of the ladies from the Philippines, I contemplate brushing the cat’s teeth though it is the dog that really needs his molars scrubbed. Wish I had started developing this skill when he was a pup. Now I will be forced to wrestle him to the ground in order to provide dental work. I choose to put it into the “exercise” category since I will surely be sweating and lose five pounds when all is said and done. At least his breath won’t kill off the guests anymore!

Troubled tenants

June 15, 2013

A somewhat meek policeman appears in a black SUV, at the end of the day, to give me the third degree about the upstairs neighbors. He squeezes past Tyrus into the sun porch to continue his inquiry. Apparently there have been several calls of complaint about the disturbance streaming down from the unit above me. Each time the officers choose to come investigate, the street is as quiet as the Stepford Wives’ territory. I can only relay my side of the story.

I dispatch the tale of an incident late last Sunday, when I was forced to listen to a screaming match seeping through the floors, horrible stomping and shouts, threatening to tear down the siding. I explained I was careful to determine whether the children were home, and if the situation was accelerating to violence. Since neither were positively identified, I assumed it would blow over. A few minutes later the silence took over. I declared I had been torn with anxiety, not certain what was a best response.

The next day or two, I informed him, the neighbor on my left showed up at my door to introduce herself. I asked her about her experiences in the area since she has lived here for over six years. She let me know it is “always so loud,” which I found an extraordinary comment since most often, there isn’t a soul in sight from one end of the street to another. Later I consider the terrific fight and assume she was referring to the booming male voice of Sunday evening.

The pocked cop listened carefully to the discourse of occurrences and scribbled down his phone number for me. Pete suggested he would stop by in a few weeks to check in on me. I implied this is all a mute point since the family upstairs is planning on moving out soon. The landlord is obviously informed of the troubles. They are being “encouraged” to leave the house as soon as possible.

The pieces slowly fall into place and I sympathize with the women and children temporarily residing above my head. I can only guess they are in cahoots with Trouble, Police Incident Reports and Life Challenges and pray they can turn things around with some support. JJ, the sweet and precious four year old, who fears her father’s reaction to having clear lip gloss applied is truly a victim of sorry circumstance. She could only smear gloss on my lips and pat my face with foundation powder as I prepare to meet my friend for dinner. She seemed to enjoy her time with me, listening to Blueberries for Sal, Angelina Ballerina and Angelina’s Birthday Surprise as I read them aloud. I am only sorry we haven’t gotten to the Shel Silverstein books. Perhaps we will have the opportunity before they move out on the 22^nd.  Next time I see JJ, I will hug her hard for no reason at all.   

Tickled pink

June 14, 2013

“Hysteria” is shelved at the little neighborhood library with a hard plastic cover encasing the DVD. Suppose it prevents the kids from checking out the X-rated materials. I enjoyed the film very much, tickled pink, in fact. My daughter was horrified when I asked her to view the movie with me, sharing a large bowl of popcorn, made with my new stove-top maker that sports a nifty spinner to prevent it from burning. Yes, I am aware of the film’s subject matter and was actually surprised she had heard of it and hadn’t seen it. In the end, I watched it with the pets and they didn’t seem disturbed by the subject matter in the least.  

We are “Arrested Development” fans in our house and have been viewing the First series again. Thrilled to death that it is going to be returning to television. A victory for their quirky sense of humor fans.

Got an obstructed license plate ticket-the fine amounts to $111 for the offense. I had no idea my license plate in the back of the vehicle was obstructed. Hadn’t even occurred to me to inspect the new plates after installation. Since the plate cover is from Washington State, the configuration is different than the state of Minnesota. Who woulda thought?  Shoot. Aim to crutch into the courthouse for an appearance, and explain my extenuating circumstances. Since we are forced to park the car on the street, due to problematic upstairs neighbors, it must have caught the eye of an officer late last night, on his rounds sans a full quota on his citation sheet. Crap!

The Exel Home Energy Squad arrived in a flurry yesterday. I had no less than three emails to remind me of the appointment and a phone call several days prior. Two young people came with nylon satchels, filled with necessary tools to update my duplex with the latest energy saving devices. We now have florescent bulbs in every socket, water saving faucets in the kitchen and bath, a water heater blanket, refrigerator thermometer, weather stripping on the outer doors, and a digital programmable thermostat (got a short lecture on the programming, was relieved to hear there would not be a test afterwards!) The two youth were busy scurrying around the house, suggesting coffee shops and markets in the area, asking about my situation which led to my spilling details about my recent excursion to Brasil. Come to find out one of the squad members was an exchange student in Minas Gerais, Brasil! What fun to chat with him in Portuguese. I am certain he threw in an extra light bulb or two because of our interaction. He could very easily be made to do anything but I resisted the urge to ask for a return trip to install plastic on the windows for the winter season. Desperate to please, he extended the referral offer resulting in a free LED light bulb, which he encouraged me to unplug and take along with me when I depart. Cute.

The wretch

June 13, 2013

Vaguely aware of a familiar sound of retching. Once a victim, the memories flood back uninvited; vomiting, spitting, moaning, stomach heaves and spewing results, body eventually spent. It was the only sound in the world. I could ascertain his helplessness, the dread in his heart, weighed heavy as a cold mind. Based on the deep-throated sound, I decide it must be the man, the only male, save an eight year old, that lives upstairs. I see the back of his dusty head occasionally, as he descends the front stairs, glimpse of a t-shirt and jeans as they pass over the window ledge and drop below the eaves. No confirmation of the ill party followed in the late morning. A fragment of discernment left me in suspense. How to relay concern about a guy whom I’ve never met, the retcher in the early morning hours?

Dry-mouthed with excitement. Today we leave the house together, Taelor and I. We are taking Moose, the new cat, to the vet. Though my head feels wobbly on its post from lack of sleep, I stare without ceremony at the morbid rain. I wrestle the deluxe walker out the door and down the front stairs, which I cannot do without assistance. The taste of freedom from the inner walls motivates me to press the physical limits.

            I paid him no heed, his moist voice and as he draws near, breath of candy. He moves beneath the florescent bulb, which illuminates little more than grime and moisture, doped by the slender sun and drone of flies. He glances at the receptionist behind the counter. She lifts her watch to her ear, dial huge, its tick murderous. At the other end of the leash sits a gigantic German Shepherd mix, which is sedately looming over all of the other canine heads. Many other large breed dogs mingle in the waiting room with their slouching owners. Most people look a bit dazed from the weight of canine surgical procedures and drop their shoulders to sooth the shaky beasts. Large shaved areas cut squares into the fur, casts grace a few paws, and one pup toted along in a carriage.

            Bea is charismatic as she flops, unceremoniously on the floor with the cat, cuddles and kiss her on the furry head while making cooing noises. We are charmed. An initial exam by the vet tech proves to be informative and follows a more thorough physical by the veterinarian who is so youthful, could be graduating from the eighth grade. All goes well and Moose passes grade. She flops on the stainless table in relief. As we march her out through the double doors, the big dogs keep coming. Some of the owners are obviously in need of weight lifting sessions since the dogs slowly pull them across the floor. One Rottweiler in particular has an inclination to dominate and the lobby becomes too perilous to remain. You can guess how that turns out.

            Moose now sleeps as if years of fatigue have overtaken her.